Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson made key plays on both ends of the floor to help the Pistons beat the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs first round.
The Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden 106-103 after a tightly contested game.
Recommended Videos
Thompson’s defense and finishing at the basket helped the Pistons prevail in a must-win game.
In 29 minutes, Thompson had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks while being the primary defender on Knicks’ star point guard, Jalen Brunson.
Thompson‘s excellent on-ball pressure forced Brunson into taking several contested shots. Brunson scored 16 points on 4 of 16 shooting and 4 turnovers.
Thompson also took advantage of being guarded by a weak defender in Brunson. He found himself open in the “dunker spot” several times throughout the game which gave him easy dunks and layups.
Cade Cunningham (24 points, 8 assists) and Jalen Duren (9 points, 6 assists) did a great job of finding Thompson open in the lane.
Thompson was clutch late in the 4th quarter as Cunningham found him from on a cut to the basket to put the Pistons up 103-97 with 27 seconds remaining.
Thompson has been Brunson’s primary defender throughout the series but had difficulty slowing him down due to foul trouble.
The biggest adjustment for Thompson in Game 5 was playing within the flow of the offense and not being too aggressive on defense. He made both adjustments, which allowed him to stay on the floor, shut down Brunson and tie his career high in points.
Thompson’s ability to be a consistent scoring threat while also defending without fouling Brunson will be key in the Pistons’ comeback efforts.
The Pistons are down 3-2 in the series. Game 6 will take place on May 1 at Little Caesar’s Arena.